Oklahoma City-area courses clean up from ice storm damage

Courses in and just west of Oklahoma City were cleaning up today from ice damage that accumulated on trees and power lines Friday and Saturday before melting Sunday.

Damage ranged from minor cleanup of limbs to heavy damage at some courses, particularly just west of Oklahoma City in Yukon (Surrey Hills Country Club) and El Reno (Crimson Creek Golf Course).

"It kind of looks like a war zone out there," said Mark Fuller, general manager and director of golf at Surrey Hills. "We had some pretty significant tree damage. Probably seven or more full trees down and a lot of limbs."

Fuller said it would be days before the course is dry enough to allow heavy removal equipment on the facility, but that cleanup of limbs and debris would take place today and the course would be open for play Tuesday, weather permitting.

Phone lines were still down this morning to Crimson Creek in El Reno, located in an area that was hard hit by ice.

Courses in Oklahoma City were busy today cleaning up thousands of limbs that cracked off after winter’s first salvo.

Shannon Friday, PGA professional at Lake Hefner Golf Course in Oklahoma City, said the South Course at Lake Hefner lost seven trees, had 37 with significant damage and 468 trees with some noticeable damage. Superintendent Chris Garrett estimated it would be a month before all the debris is fully cleared from this storm. However, there was no damage to greens or what were considered key trees from a playing standpoint.

It was a similar situation at other courses throughout Oklahoma City.